Tips for Halloween When It’s Not Your Thing
I have never liked Halloween. I don’t know if it’s because we never really celebrated it with my family when I was little or because I don’t like spooky and scary things. But now that I have kids I hate it even more. Tips for Halloween are required since I’m not a “Halloween Person.”
I hate the competition amongst parents on whose kids have the best costume or who has the best house decorations. Even more, I hate the sugar rush and hyperactivity that follows, as well as me repressing my emotions when I see them eating more candy in one night than they’ve eaten in one year. Lately, I even hate the fact that from one night that it used to be, Halloween celebrations now seem to last the whole month of October.
The thing is, I acknowledge it’s my problem. I am the one who hates Halloween, not my kids. And I don’t want to rob them of a fun night just because I am a party pooper. My oldest kid, in particular, is very excited about this upcoming Halloween as she’s almost 5 and all kids are starting to talk about it.
Tips for Halloween When You’re Not a Halloween Person
So, if you are also the kind of mom who hasn’t fallen in love with this yearly occasion, here are some of my best tips to make Halloween as painless as possible for you, while still fun for the kids.
Don’t spend too much on costumes
This is definitely Halloween hack number one. Kids will most likely wear their Halloween costume once and then never again. There’s no point in spending lots of money and/or time on it.
So, unless you are one of those super-competitive moms whose kids have to wow everyone else with what they are wearing, or you are keen to make your own Game of Thrones costume, a cheap already bought costume from the stores will do just fine. All my daughter wants to wear is the costume of her favorite Disney character and probably wouldn’t even appreciate something handmade.
If you have a little one who’s still not aware of what all the fuss is about, then that’s even easier. You might get away with a funny pacifier of a pumpkin or vampire teeth for now.
Tips for Halloween NIGHT – Turn off the bell
Okay, I know this might sound super mean, but if you have a little one (I would say under 4) you still have time to hide from it all! Baby won’t realize or remember anyway so they won’t blame you when they are older.
We didn’t celebrate Halloween for the first 3 years of my first daughter’s life. We tucked her into bed around 7 pm as usual and turned the bell off to make sure nobody woke her up. Had it been for me I would have put a sign outside the gate saying “Baby sleeping, please keep it quiet”, but my partner thought that was going to be too rude.
Have a big dinner before trick-or-treating
Here’s an easy Halloween hack: Be sure you feed your kids with something substantial for dinner: with a full tummy, they might be (a little bit) less excited about eating all the candy they collect later on in the evening.
The effectiveness of this tip depends a lot on what kind of kid you have, though. There are some kids who would eat sweets till their tummy is sore and they start feeling nauseous, and others who have got a bit more self-control. My oldest is quite good this way and usually stops when she’s full, so this tip for Halloween works quite well for me.
Have rules for any leftover treats
In our house, any leftover treat is stored away for the following days, and kids are only allowed only one treat a day. This way the sugar rush peaks at Halloween and then I feel like I have a bit more control over their sugar intake again.
Trade candy for something else
If you hate candy as much as I do, I bet you can’t wait to get rid of it! But, instead of hiding it hoping your kids will eventually forget it, why not trade them for something else that your kid can’t resist? It can be a healthier treat or even a new toy (doesn’t have to be something to eat).
My daughter, for example, is always quite happy to get rid of candy in exchange for something else she likes. I think she collects all the candies just because she sees everyone else doing it, but she’s not even a big fan of it.
Don’t stress too much about it
Last but not least, really try not to stress too much about it. Halloween eventually shall pass too, and you’ll soon be planning a lovely Christmas with your family (unless you hate Christmas too?!).
Tips for Halloween Happiness
Remind yourself this is not about you, it’s about your kids, and they deserve all the happiness in the world. Even if that means you pretending to be happy for a whole day when deep down you can’t wait for that day to be over.
One night of lots of sugar won’t kill them (so I keep repeating myself) and a few years down the line, when you look back at the photos of your kids in those cute little outfits, I am sure you will actually crack a smile.
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